The invention herein resides in the art of fluid treatment devices and, more particularly, to such devices that treat flowing fluids magnetically. Specifically, the invention relates to holders for magnets in such fluid treatment devices to assure the proper placement and retention of the magnets with respect to the fluid conduit, and to aid in the manufacturing and assembly of such fluid treatment devices.
It is well known in the art of magnetics that the strength of the magnetic flux decreases as the inverse square of the distance from the face of the magnetic poles. Additionally, the thickness of a magnet will determine how far the magnetic fields will extend beyond the surface of the magnet. To illustrate the above statement, a magnet 1xe2x80x3 thick by 3xe2x80x3 long that is magnetized through the 3xe2x80x3 dimension with the north magnetic pole at the top and the south magnetic pole at the bottom, with a gauss reading of 1000 g at the surface will be used. At a distance of xc2xdxe2x80x3 above the surface, the reading is 400 g. Compare this with the magnetic field of the earth being approximately xc2xd of 1 gauss. The earth being approximately 8000 miles in diameter has a magnetic field that extends thousands of miles into space. Thus both the size of a magnet, mass and thickness, and the strength, determine how far the fields will reach. For these reasons in magnetic fluid treatment devices, the thickness of the magnets must be at least as great as the radius of the conduit carrying fluid through the device.
To build an effective fluid treatment device, it is important to maintain strong magnetic fields at the center of the conduit that carries the fluids to be treated. Other methods can be used to further increase the useful strength of magnets. To further increase the strength of a magnet, a ferrous steel plate that completely covers one pole of the magnet will cause an increase of gauss at the other pole. Using the above described magnet (1000 gauss) as another example, when one pole is covered the other pole reads 1200 g at the surface, and the reading at xc2xdxe2x80x3 above the surface is 480 g Further, by arranging two magnets on a ferrous steel backing plate where they are in close proximity to each other, and at an angle to each other of approximately 35 degrees, while the gauss reading at the surface of the magnets will be reduced approximately 10% to 900 g, the reading at a distance equal to the thickness of the magnet, which corresponds to the center of a conduit that would be used to carry fluids through the device, will conversely be approximately 10% (500 g) higher than a reading at the same distance of a single magnet on a ferrous backing plate.
To further enhance magnetic flux effectiveness, one may construct a device comprising an identical configuration of magnets with a backing plate placed diametrically opposite to the first configuration and with the opposite magnetic pole facing the first magnet. This will again increase the gauss readings of both magnets by an additional 10%. In this configuration, the backing plates must contact each other along the edges so that a complete circuit of magnetic flux can be maintained between the first set of magnets with one pole against the backing plate and the other set of magnets where the opposite pole is against the backing plate. This configuration creates a continuous circuit of magnetic flux that travels from the north pole face of the first magnet, through the space into the south pole of an opposite second magnet, through the second magnet, around the ferrous steel backing plates, and ultimately back into the south pole of the first magnet. The circuit, now being complete, increases the flux density of the magnetic field and has a stronger influence on the material passing between the poles of the magnets of this device.
The next consideration is the placement of additional sets of magnets with opposing polarities facing each other. The set of magnets following the first set is placed downstream in relation to the direction of flow of the fluid, and at a separation distance that is greater than ⅓ the length of the magnets but no more than 12 the length of the magnets. Additionally, the second set is preferably separated from the first set by a distance that is greater than the distance through the conduit and between the magnets At a lateral separation distance of less than the distance through the conduit, the magnetic flux will travel laterally between magnets mounted on the same backing plate rather than through the conduit, and therefore not affect the fluid. This distance through the conduit is given precedence over the concept of the distance between the magnets on the same backing plate being separated by a distance of at least ⅓ the length of the magnets. Following sets of magnets conform to this restriction so that the fluid encounters at least four reversing polarities as it travels through the conduit. The width of the magnets must be equal to or greater than the diameter of the conduit carrying the fluid.
It is clear that a system is needed to facilitate the assembly of magnetic fluid treatment devices where multiple magnets are assembled into a shell. The device should hold magnets in proper alignment for ease of assembly and further maintain the positions of the magnets while in use. The configuration of the components should also concentrate the fields of the magnets to the center of a fluid conduit.
In light of the foregoing, it is a first aspect of the invention to provide a fluid conduit with retained magnets that maximizes the magnetic flux introduced into an associated fluid stream.
Another aspect of the invention is the provision of a fluid conduit with retained magnetics that provides for ease of assembly and assurance of maintenance of spatial relationships between and among the elements thereof.
Still a further aspect of the invention is the provision of embodiments of a fluid conduit with retained magnets that is durable and reliable in use and easily constructed from state-of-the-art materials, while achieving the foregoing benefits. The foregoing and other aspects of the invention that will become apparent as the detailed description proceeds are achieved by a fluid treatment conduit assembly, comprising: an elongated housing of cross sectional octagonal configuration, said housing having eight elongated axially aligned inner directed faces; a conduit maintained within and axially aligned with said housing; a plurality of magnets interposed between said conduit and said inner directed faces; and a plurality of said spacers being interposed between axially adjacent ones of said magnets.
Other aspects that will become apparent herein are attained by a fluid treatment conduit assembly, comprising: an elongated tubular shell; a conduit maintained within and coaxial with said shell; a plurality of magnets interposed between said conduit and said shell; and a plurality of spacers received within said shell, said spacers receiving and maintaining said magnets in fixed spaced apart relationship to each other, said magnets being maintained in radially aligned pairs, and said pairs being axially spaced and aligned.